Laterally movable door and operating mechanism therefor

ABSTRACT

A railway car door of a type which is laterally movable outwardly from a door opening and slidable to one side thereof includes an improved operating mechanism for moving the door laterally and for locking and unlocking the same. The operating mechanism includes an arm and linkage arrangement actuated in a linear direction by means of a manually operative rotatable member, the said linear movement of the linkage mechanism also actuating bell crank levers having relative lost motion connections which are effective to open and close locking bolts sequentially with respect to the linkage mechanism which is actuated for moving the door laterally relative to the door opening.

Unite States Patent [191 LATERALLY MOVABLE DOOR AND OPERATING MECHANISM THEREFOR I [75] Inventor: Ernest J. Nagy, Munster, Ind.

[73] Assignee: Pullman Incorporated, Chicago, Ill. [22] Filed: Aug. 10, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 387,428

[52] US. Cl. 49/220 [51] Int. Cl EOSd 15/10 [58] Field of Search i. 49/216-220 [56] I References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,387,407 6/1968 Soddy 49/220 3,392,487 7/1968 Madland et al 49/220 3,413,758 12/1968 Palsson 49/220 3,750,335 8/l973 Marsh 49/220 [ll] 3,813,814 1 June 4, 1974 Primary Examiner-Kenneth Downey Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Hilmond O. Vogel [5 7] ABSTRACT A railway car door of a type which is laterally movable outwardly from a door opening and slidable to one side thereof includes an improved operating mechanism for moving the door laterally and for locking and unlocking: the same. The operating mechanism includes an arm and linkage arrangement actuated in a linear direction by means of a manually operative rotatable member, the said linear movement of the linkage mechanism also actuating bell crank levers having relative lost motiofi connectionfihich ai e effective to open and closelocking bolts sequentially with respect to the linkage mechanismwhich is actuated for moving the door laterally relative to the door opening.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Pmmemun 41914 smaam SHEET a (IF-2 IJJ LATERALLY MOVABLE DOOR AND OPERATING MECHANISM THEREFOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The field of art to which this invention pertains is railway box cars having door openings and in particularly to a laterally movable and slidable door.

2. Description of the Prior Art The'prior art is disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,653,153 dated Apr. 4, 1972 wherein a simple hand operated mechanism is provided and actuated to move locking bolts sequentially in relation to the actuating mechanism operating or rotating a vertical pipe which in turn moves the door laterally with respect to a door opening. In the foregoing reference the operation is achieved by means of rack and pinion arrangements whereas the present invention relates to a simple linkage and bell crank lever arrangement for achieving sequential operation.

THE SUMMARY It is a prime object of the present invention to provide an improved and inexpensive hand actuated lever mechanism which by means of a single hand operated member will provide for opening and closing of locking bolts and also sequentially provide for lateral movement of the door with respect to the door opening in the side of a railway car. The present arrangement achieves the objective by utilization of a rotatable member which is hand operated and upon rotation of which causes longitudinal and linear movement of a linkage mechanism. The rotatable member is suitably connected to bell crank lever arrangement having relative lost motion connection whereby during rotation of the rotatable member the locking bolts of the arrangement are sequentially movable relative to the linkage arrangement which provides for lateral movement of the door.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view'with a portion broken away illustrating an improved laterally movable door and operating mechanism therefor;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevational view of a door operating mechanism showing the position of the mechanism when the door is closed and locked within the door opening of a railway car;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 2 showing the position of the operating mechanism when the door is in an open position; and

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 discloses a portion of a railway car side having a pair of laterally spaced and vertically extendable door posts 11. The door posts 11 are connected at their upper ends to a door plate construction 12 and the side 10 includes conventional side sheathing 13 which is provided with a door opening 14. The railway car sides are provided with side sill structures 15 and a railway car door 16 is disposed within the dooropening 14 in a closed and locked position as indicated in FIG. 1. The door 16 is of the laterally movable and slidable type often referred to as a plug dooriwhich is moved to one side of the opening in an out-of-the-way position.

The railway car side 10 includes a track 21 extending substantially parallel -to the lower edge of the door opening 14. At the left hand side of the door 16 there is provided a roller assembly 22 of conventional design adapted to be rolled on the track 21. The roller assembly 22 is associated with a swivel bracket 23 connected to the door, the same being in alignment with an upper swivel bracket 24 also including a roller assembly 25 which is adapted to roll and guide the upper edge of the door in connection with the top plate construction 12. The lower right hand portion of the door is supported on a roller assembly 26 rollable on the track 21. A crank arm 27 extends laterally outwardly with respect to the door opening and has connected thereto a pipe or rotatable rod 28 which is adapted to be rotated about its axis the length thereof. The rod 28 also is provided with an upper crank arm 29 in turn having pivoted thereon a roller 30 which is also contained within the top plate 12, and is in sliding relation therewith so that the door may be moved sideways on the track 15 in conventionalv fashion. The aforementioned patent also discloses this type of construction which is conventional in the art in that the door may be moved laterally inwardly and outwardly relative to the dooropening and may be releasably secured therein.

A door actuating mechanism is generally designated at 32 and includes a linkage assembly 33 comprising a link 34. The link 34 is guided in a linear manner by means of rollers 35 which are suitably supported on a mounting plate 31 the latter being secured to the outer face of the door sheathing 20. As best shown in FIG. 1, the link 34 is connected to a clevis type bracket 36 rigidly secured to the pipe 28. The end of the linkage assembly 34 is connected by means of a vertical pivot connection 37 to the said bracket 36 so that upon linear movement of the linkage assembly 34 the pipe 28 is rotated in conventional fashion. The linkage assembly 34 is also provided with a link adjusting means 38 of conventional design. An arm 39 is pivoted by means of a pivot connection 40 to one end of the link 34. The

arm 39 is actuated by a hand actuated rotatable member 41, which as best shown in FIG. 4, is pivoted by means of a cap screw 42 screwed into a projection or stud 43 suitably supported on the mounting plate 31. The pivot or rotatable member 41 has a manually operable handle 44. A stud 45 is secured to the arm 39 and projects outwardly therefrom, the same being positioned within an opening 46 provided in the rotatable member 41. A stud 47 projects outwardly from the mounting plate 31 and is adapted to be seated within notches 48 and 49 provided in the lower edge of the arm 39.

A bracket 50 is rigidly secured to the arm 39 and projects downwardly therefrom. A bell crank lever 51 is. pivotally connected as indicated at 52 on the mounting plate 31 and has an upper portion which is provided with a vertical slot 53. A stud 54 rigidly secured to the bracket 50 is pivotable and slidable relative to the slot 53 to provide a lost motion connection therewith. A bell crank lever 55 is positioned below the lever 51 and includes an upper portion having an arcuate slot 56. A pin 57 on a portion of the lever 51 is pivoted and slidable relative tothe slot 56. The lever 55 is pivoted as indicated by 58 on the mounting plate 31 and includes a lower portion 59 pivotally connected as indicated at 60 to a horizontal locking bolt 61. The lever 55 also in eludes a portion 62 which is pivotally connected as indicated at 63 to a vertical locking bolt 64. The locking bolts 61 and 64 are conventional in the art and are movable in sliding relation relative to the door into engagement with portions of a door frame adjacent the door opening for locking the door in a closed position.

The Operation The actuating mechanism as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is set at a closed position wherein the locking bolts 61, 64 are in locking engagement with the frame and the door is in position for car travel. Assuming now that it is desired to open the door, the operator grasps the handle 44 and rotates the same in a counterclockwise direction. This causes a slight upward movement of the pin 45 and end of the arm 39 raising the notch 49 out of the captured or stop position relative to the projecting stop 47. Further counterclockwise rotation of the rotatable member 41 provides for the movement of the pivot pin 54 in a rotated and sliding relation relative to the slot 53 whereupon the bell crank lever 51 is also pivoted in a counterclockwise direction. Continued pivotal movement of this bell crank lever 51 provides for upward and rotated movement of the slide and pivot pin 57 which slides in the arcuate slot 56 thereupon pivoting the upper end of lever 55 in a clockwise direction. This clockwise pivotal action provides for movement of the horizontal locking bolt 61 to the left as shown in FIG. 3 and upward movement of the locking bolt 64 so that the same is withdrawn from the door frames permitting opening of the door.

Up to this time only a very slight linear movement of the link 34 has been effected; however, continued rotation now of the rotatable member 41 provides for linear movement of the link 34 from the position shown in FIG. 2 to the position shown in FIG. 3. This linear movement provides for rotation of the crank arms 27 and 29 in conventional fashion which moves the right side of the door laterally outwardly of the door opening to a partially open position. By virtue of the lost motion connection which has been described, the movement thus ofthe locking bolt to an open position is sequential relative to the movement ofthe linkage 34 and vertical pipe. It is of course necessary to first remove the locking bars from the closed position before the lateral movement can be effectuated and by the sequential movement afforded by the lost motion connections this is effectively accomplished.

The open position is indicated in FIG. 3 by the position of the actuating mechanism and the door may now be easily moved to one side of the door opening in an open position. The operation in closing is, of course. also sequential in that the clockwise movement of the rotatable member 41 initially provides for the linear movement of the linkage 34 to move the end of the door laterally into the door opening whereupon continued. movement then is effective to sequentially move the lock bolts 61, 64 again to the closed position. Also in the position in F l6. 3 the door is effectively locked since the notches 48 and 49 of the arm 39 are in seating or nesting relation relative to the studs 43 and 47.

Thus a simple effective and maintenance free door operating mechanism has been disclosed which accomplishes the primary objectives of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a plug type door for a cargo body having a door frame and opening, said door being movable to open and closed position relative tosaid opening.

a vertical pipe rotatably mounted on said door,

crank arms connected to said pipe and slidingly and pivotally supported on said door frame, locking bolt means slidingly supported on said door releasable engageable with said frame for movement between locking and unlocking positions.

and means supporting said door for sliding movement relative to said opening, the improvement comprismg:

a door actuating mechanism including,

a first hand actuated rotatable member supported on said door,

linkage means pivotally connected to said pipe,

said linkage means including an arm,

said arm having one end pivotally connected to said rotatable member whereupon rotation of said member said linkage means is moved substantially linearly thereby rotating said pipe and thereby moving said door laterally relative to said opening,

first and second levers pivotally mounted on said door,

means pivotally interconnecting said levers,

means on one of said levers pivotally connected to said locking bolt means,

lost motion connecting means connecting said linkage means and one of said levers,

second lost motion connecting means connecting said other lever and said locking bolt means, whereby during linear movement of said linkage means said levers are rotated to move said locking bolts and rotate said pipe in sequential relation.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1, said linkage means including a link having one end pivotally connected to said pipe,

and a second end pivotally connected to said arm.

3. The invention in accordance with claim 2, said link and door including interengageable stop means maintaining said link and linkage means in a plurality of linear positions.

4. The invention in accordance with claim 3, and stop means including a projecting stop on said door,

and a plurality of notches on said links sequentially engageable with said projecting stops.

5. The invention in accordance with claim 1, one of said levers having a bell-crank configuration,

said first lost motion connection including a bracket on said link having pin connected thereto,

and a slot provided in said first lever engageable with said pin in sliding relation.

6. The invention in accordance with claim 5, said second lost motion connection comprising a second slot in the other of said levers and said means interconnecting said levers includes a pin on said first lever engaging said second slot. 

1. In a plug type door for a cargo body having a door frame and opening, said door being movable to open and closed position relative to said opening, a vertical pipe rotatably mounted on said door, crank arms connected to said pipe and slidingly and pivotally supported on said door frame, locking bolt means slidingly supported on said door releasable engageable with said frame for movement between locking and unlocking positions, and means supporting said door for sliding movement relative to said opening, the improvement comprising: a door actuating mechanism including, a first hand actuated rotatable member supported on said door, linkage means pivotally connected to said pipe, said linkage means including an arm, said arm having one end pivotally connected to said rotatable member whereupon rotation of said member said linkage means is moved substantially linearly thereby rotating said piPe and thereby moving said door laterally relative to said opening, first and second levers pivotally mounted on said door, means pivotally interconnecting said levers, means on one of said levers pivotally connected to said locking bolt means, lost motion connecting means connecting said linkage means and one of said levers, second lost motion connecting means connecting said other lever and said locking bolt means, whereby during linear movement of said linkage means said levers are rotated to move said locking bolts and rotate said pipe in sequential relation.
 2. The invention in accordance with claim 1, said linkage means including a link having one end pivotally connected to said pipe, and a second end pivotally connected to said arm.
 3. The invention in accordance with claim 2, said link and door including interengageable stop means maintaining said link and linkage means in a plurality of linear positions.
 4. The invention in accordance with claim 3, and stop means including a projecting stop on said door, and a plurality of notches on said links sequentially engageable with said projecting stops.
 5. The invention in accordance with claim 1, one of said levers having a bell-crank configuration, said first lost motion connection including a bracket on said link having pin connected thereto, and a slot provided in said first lever engageable with said pin in sliding relation.
 6. The invention in accordance with claim 5, said second lost motion connection comprising a second slot in the other of said levers and said means interconnecting said levers includes a pin on said first lever engaging said second slot. 